Trick and treat: Joshua Jay talks about his magic way with cards

Friday

Jul 30, 2010 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2010 at 7:04 AM

Joshua Jay has been doing magic ever since he was a boy growing up in Canton. Now 28, he is a internationally known and respected authority on close-up magic. He will demonstrate some of his jaw-dropping card-trick finesse when he appears Aug. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Borders Books and Music in Jackson Township for a book signing.

Dan Kane

Joshua Jay has been doing magic ever since he was a boy growing up in Canton. Now 28, he is a internationally known and respected authority on close-up magic.

Jay, a 2000 graduate of GlenOak High School, has performed and lectured in 59 countries to date. He has headlined Hollywood’s prestigious Magic Castle, he writes a monthly column for Magic magazine and he recently made his second appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.”

His self-invented card tricks — the main reason for his renown in illusionist circles — are not the kind Uncle Joey would pull out at a family reunion. Instead, they take unexpected twists and turns, and usually leave onlookers with a sense of utter bafflement.

“I consider Josh an important emerging voice in our art,” says magician David Blaine in the foreword to Jay’s terrific new book, “Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards” (Workman Publishing, 206 pages, $16.95).

Through concise instructions and many photo illustrations, plus a 106-minute DVD included with the book, Jay teaches 58 card tricks, shuffles, and other bits of impressive sleight-of-hand that can be done with a single, ordinary deck of cards. In addition to being a how-to guide, it is a fun read packed with history and fun facts.

A funny, hip and personable guy, Jay will demonstrate some of his jaw-dropping card-trick finesse when he appears Aug. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Borders Books and Music in Jackson Township for a book signing.

A resident of New York City, Jay was in Los Angeles on his book tour when he phoned the other afternoon.

Q. You travel all over the world with your magic. What do you actually do when you arrive in these faraway lands?

A. I made a decision very early on that I was going to do original material, and when you do that you become by default one of a kind. If people want to see my magic, they have to hire me — magic groups, clubs, societies and other clients who want to see me perform.

Q. Is language a big challenge when you perform internationally?

A. I speak French and Spanish and English, which opens up a whole bunch of possibilities. When I’m in a country like Japan, I’ll use a translator, or I’ll do certain pieces to music.

Q. So your life is a little bit hectic these days?

A. I’ve done 24 cities in the last month on this book tour. I’ve been to L.A. eight or nine times already this year. I’ve been to Austria and Cyprus and France and Germany this year. But traveling is really pretty much the best part of what I do.

Q. And there’s an awareness of magic in every country?

A. What’s fascinating — and I talk about this in the book — is that magic looks different depending on where you are. Magic in Fiji looks different than in Cape Town. The history of magic in each country informs how the professionals approach it. France has a very theatrical history of magic. Here in America, there’s a lot of street magic. A little bit of everywhere I’ve been has rubbed off on me.

Q. What’s one of your favorite card tricks in the new book?

A. There’s one called Card Shark. What I love about it is it’s so simple yet it has a big impact on audiences. It’s a trick where you find a selected card and produce a royal flush from a single deck.

Q. How do you create a card trick?

A. You think of an effect you want and how to get there. Magic is like a tool box, with all these different moves to get from one place to another and make something that is interesting.

Q. With a handshake, you made Chinese coins move into my hand. Another time, I saw you make a pair of eyeglasses stand up on the floor just by staring at them. I’m not sure how you classify these things. They’re almost eerie.

A. (Chuckles) I’m very interested in anything that a crowd will find impossible. That’s the world that I inhabit. Every trick is there to instill a certain emotion, be it wonder, a laugh, something spooky or something that tells people about me and my travels.

Q. Do you think about putting together a touring show?

A. Funny you should ask. I’m working right now on a one-man show which is going to be a full, hour-and-a-half theatrical experience that talks about my life and magic. It’s a rare opportunity for me to control all the aspects that I don’t normally get to control when I’m traveling all over the place. It will preview in Ohio and eventually go to Chicago, New York and L.A.

For information, visit www.joshuajay.com

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